Informed Scotland October 2023 – Education & skills reform

Rather than make our subscribers wait, several major education and skills reform announcements made on 7 November by the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills in a statement to the Scottish Parliament, are included in this month’s issue:

• Details about a new Centre of Teaching Excellence which had been announced at the SNP’s annual conference in October; a blog post by Prof Mark Priestley considers some of the pros and cons
• A new consultation on the provisions of the Education Bill due to be introduced to Parliament in 2024 – open until 18 December 2023
• A ministerial group, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, to advise on the whole education and skills reform, recognising it as one system
• An Education and Skills Reform Chief Executive Forum, for all bodies impacted by reform
• Scottish Government is to ‘taper’ funding for Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RICs) for the next academic year, with funding repurposed ‘to better support teachers’
• Publication of the third report from the International Council of Education Advisers; interestingly, among their recommendations is a call to clarify the role of RICs and make their funding arrangements ‘promote strategic planning over a three-year [rather than a one-year] period’.

Other items worth highlighting:

• A CIPD report on the apprenticeships levy and policy differences across the UK
• A City & Guilds Industry Skills Board report outlining A vision for a future skills development system; and Investment in training and skills by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, on possible reforms for the skills system
• A new Scottish Parliament Education, Children & Young People Committee inquiry into additional support for learning
• A Commission on School Reform report on Attendance and Absence in Scotland’s Schools since the Covid-19 pandemic
• A Fraser of Allander Institute report on The economic contribution of colleges in Scotland, commissioned by College Development Network and Colleges Scotland
• The outcomes of a QAA Scotland Enhancement Themes project on college students’ experience of university, led by City of Glasgow College.

Want to keep on top of all the developments? Become an Informed Scotland subscriber. Email [email protected] to request a complimentary copy from Angela and discover what you’re missing.